Spoon blank and method of manufacture



Nov. 14, 1961 H. J. DUNN I 3,008,358

SPOON BLANK AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed Aug. 11, 1958 (INVENTOR.

. WUSQJMMWQ United States Patent Ofiice 3,008,358 SPOGN BLANK AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Howard J. Dunn, Cambridge, Ohio, assignor, by rnesne assignments, to Ekco Products Company, Chicago, 11].,

co oration of Delaware a m Filed Aug. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 754,378

2 Claims. (Cl. 76-105) This invention relates to the manufacture of stamped metal kitchen or tableware spoons of the type hav ng a bowl portion of diminishing thickness as distinguished from ungraded spoons having a bowl portion of a unlform thickness throughout.

Graded type spoons as heretofore produced have involved costly manufacturing operations. As so manufactured, it is customary to first sever a preliminary blank from a metal sheet, and to develop a bowl portion of desired graded or varying thickness, the blank undergoes a series of rolling operations with which an annealing step is interspersed, and thereafter the graded blank is trimmed to the outline of the spoon as desired in 1ts finished shape before pressing or cupping the blank to finally shape the bowl portion.

Ungraded type spoons have usually utihzed a blank severed from metal sheet of uniform thickness, and the shaping of the bowl portion has been effected without altering the thickness thereof. This method, while economical as to material and labor, has the disadvantage of providing a finished spoon in which the edges of the bowl exhibit shear marks giving the impression of an inferior product.

According to the present invention, it is proposed to utilize the economies available in the production of ungraded type spoons and to obtain a finished spoon in which the edges of the bowl are of diminishing thickness so as to produce the effect of a graded type spoon by the expedient of a single step wherein the blank is sub ected to a coining operation wherein only the marginal area of the spoon bowl portion is squeezed and thereby gradually reduced in thickness along the edges of the bowl portion.

As a consequence, spoons produced according to the process of this invention acquire the appearance of the more costly graded type flatware while eliminating the material and labor costs required in the manufacture of such graded type flatware.

A preferred method of applying the invention in commercial practice is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a View in perspective of a coining die with a spoon blank held therein preparatory to operation of said die wherein the bowl portion of the blank is gradually reduced in thickness along the edge of said bowl portion.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a blank for the production of a spoon in accordance with this invention as it appears before it is acted on by the die shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section along line 33 of FIG. 1 with the die in operating position.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the blank as it appears after undergoing action of the die shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a similar view of the spoon blank in its desired finished state.

3,008,358 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 According to the present invention, a blank is cut or stamped from a sheet of metal stock, such as stainless steel, having a thickness equal to that desired for the handle portion of the spoon in its finished state. Such thickness is uniform throughout the area of the blank 10. The bowl portion of the blank 10 is defined by edges '11 which are preferably in symmetrical relation to the edges of the bowl portion of the blank 10 in its finished state, except for the fact that the area of the bowl portion defined by the edges 11 in the blank 10 in its initial state is somewhat smaller than the area of the bowl portion in its finished state. By utilizing a blank 10 of such peripheral contour, only a minimum of scrap is involved in punching the blank from the sheet metal stock.

The blank 10 is first subjected to the action of a coining die having mating upper and lower sections 12 and 13 respectively between which the bowl portion 11 of the blank is squeezed to decrease the thickness of a marginal area 15 of the bowl portion 11. A cavity 14 in the surface of the lower die section 13 facing the die section 12 is of such contour and dimension as to provide relief for a slight outward flow of the marginal area of the spoon bowl portion as the die sections 12 and 13 are brought into closed position against the spoon blank 10. The depth of the cavity 14 corresponds to the thickness of the blank 10 surrounded by such marginal area so as to confine the squeezing action to said marginal area. In performing the squeezing or coining operation between the die sections 12 and 13, the handle portion of the spoon blank 10 has engagement with a spring loaded locating gage 16 thereby aifording accurate location of the blank in advance of each coining operation while providing for necessary freedom of movement of the blank in a direction opposite to that in which the edge of the bowl portion is forced as the coining operation is completed.

After the coining operation, the blank is ready for forming the bowl portion into a finished dished shape and for bending the handle to the extent desired. Having thus established the desired finished shape of the spoon, the handle may be suitably embossed in a succeeding ope-ration.

In causing the edge of the bowl portion of the spoon blank 10 to stretch and taper as contemplated by this invention, much of the roughness exhibited in the sheared edges of the blank prior to the coining operation is eliminated with the result that such edges of the spoon bowl are relatively smooth and respond more favorably to electropolishing treatment than the uncoined edge portions of the blank.

With the foregoing method, it will accordingly be evident that the finished spoon exhibits qualities of graded type flatware with substantially the same economy in material and labor as obtained in the lower cost ungraded type of flatware.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a spoon from a blank severed from flat sheet metal stock of uniform thickness and hav ing a bowl portion defined by edges substantially symmetrical with the periphery of the bowl in its desired finished shape, which includes the step of squeezing only the marginal area of the bowl portion to produce a marginal area of gradually diminishing thickness toward the edges of said bowl portion and thereafter cupping said marginal area and the body of the bowl portion bounded 3 thereby to give said bowl portion its desired finished shape. 7

2. A stamped metal spoon blank having a handle and bowl portion of uniform thickness throughout except for a marginal area of said bowl portion which is of gradually diminishing thickness in a direction away from the area of the bowl portion surrounded by said marginal area along a line coincident with the longitudinal axis of said spoon blank as Well as in directions along lines transverse to said longitudinal axis.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I 

